Saturday, March 19, 2011

Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank

This novel Alas, Babylon was published in 1959 at the height of the Cold War, and all of the fear and anxieties about the possibility of World War III are certainly reflected in this story. It takes place in a small city in Florida, one of the few places to have survivors after hydrogen bombs are dropped all over the United States. It is the story of what lengths people will go to survive, as well as a story of love, friendship, and hope. A true classic!

Karen

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Arcadia Falls by Carol Goodman


A girl plunges to her death on the campus of a private academy in upstate New York, and this isn't the first time there's been a mysterious death at the school. Meg Rosenthal and her daughter Sally arrive at the school shortly before the second death occurs. Meg and Sally moved to Arcadia Falls when Meg accepts a teaching position at Arcadia Academy. It's going to be a fresh start for them after Meg's husband and Sally's father dies. They soon discover that the school is shrouded in mystery. Besides her teaching position, Meg has come to Arcadia to finish her dissertation on the school's founders. During her research, Meg discovers that the founders, Vera and Lily, both had many secrets. The past quickly catches up to the future, and they are soon intertwined.

I enjoyed this book. Goodman is always very descriptive, and makes you feel as if you're a part of the action. The book kept me guessing, and wasn't predictable or easy to figure out.

Check it out here: Arcadia Falls

Carrie

Sunday, March 6, 2011

No Time for Goodbye by Linwood Barclay

I am very excited that I may have actually found a Harlan Coben read-alike. This author was recommended to me by a patron who is a huge lover of suspense novels. No Time for Goodbye is the first book I have read by this author, and it was quite a thriller. Here's the hook: You wake up. Your house is empty. Your family has disappeared. That certainly got me hooked, and the book took a lot of twists and turns right up until the end. The pace is a bit slower than Coben's books, but the suspense is equal. I fully intend and look forward to reading more by Linwood Barclay.

Karen